Download kids kitchen: what is fat?

PUBLICATION 348-826
Kids Kitchen: What Is Fat?
Stephanie K. Goodwin, R.D., Graduate Assistant, Family Nutrition Program
Fat is a necessary part of a healthy diet. It is found in some foods like nuts, oils, butter, and meats like beef. Fat
is not a bad food. Instead of avoiding fat, you should try to include a little bit of fat at each meal. Dietary fat
provides the most calories compared to protein foods and carbohydrate foods. You, as a kid, especially need a
certain amount of fat in your diet so that your brain and nervous system develop correctly. Fat also helps protect
your organs and helps your body absorb essential vitamins!
Are all fats created equal?
No. There are two main types of fat, saturated and unsaturated.
LIMIT SATURATED FAT.
This type of fat is found mostly in animal products:
EAT MORE UNSATURATED FAT.
This type of fat is found mostly in plant products and fish:
avocado
red meat
(hamburger, hot dog,
bacon, sausage, bologna)
olive oil and olives
canola oil
butter
safflower oil
chicken fingers or other fried chicken
peanut butter and peanut oil
ice cream
nuts
(almonds, cashews,
pecans, walnuts, peanuts)
baked goods
(cookies, pastries, cake)
high-fat dairy products
(full-fat cheese, ice cream,
whole milk, 2% milk, sour cream)
pumpkin or sunflower seeds
baked fish
(tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel)
ranch dressing
soft tub margarine
chocolate or candy bars
homemade salad dressing
(olive oil and vinegar)
french fries
cream sauces
sesame seeds
gravy made with meat drippings
mayonnaise
Foods from the saturated fat group are
not your best choice, but they are okay
to eat every now and then.
tofu and other soybean products
Unsaturated fat is considered a healthy fat
and you should eat it more often than saturated fat.
www.ext.vt.edu
Produced by Communications and Marketing, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2010
Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion,
age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University,
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Alan L. Grant, Dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Interim
Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; Wondi Mersie, Interim Administrator, 1890 Extension
Program, Virginia State, Petersburg.
Do I eat healthy fats?
Write down what you ate at breakfast, lunch, and dinner and for snacks. For each meal, did you eat more unsaturated or saturated fats? Color in the space provided either green (unsaturated fats) or red (saturated fats).
Green foods = unsaturated fats
Red foods = saturated fats
When you are finished, add up all of your red spaces and your green spaces. At the bottom of the page, color in
your traffic light with whatever color you had more of.
Breakfast
Red
or
Green
Lunch
Red
or
Green
Dinner
Red
or
Green
Snacks
Red
or
Green
If your traffic light is red, then find
where you could make healthier
choices during the day to change the
color. If your traffic light is green,
then you have chosen healthy fats
and are ready to GO!!
Source: Kids Health for Kids: Learning about Fat, www.kidshealth.org/kid/nutrition/food/fat.html
Reviewed by Kathy Hosig, Ph.D., associate professor, Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise.
This publication was partially funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides nutrition assistance to people with
low incomes. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact your local county or city Department of Social Services (phone listed under city/county government). For help
finding a local number, call toll-free: 1-800-552-3431 (M-F 8:15-5:00, except holidays). By calling your local DSS office, you can get other useful information about services. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religious creed, age, disability, or political beliefs.
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call, toll free, (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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This publication was partially funded by the Expanded Food Nutrition Education Program, USDA, CSREES.